In commercial warewashers the wares to be cleaned, such as dishes, glasses, flatware, etc., are placed in suitable trays and the trays placed on dollies or on an endless conveyor. The conveyor or driving mechanism associated with dollies, carries the trays through a loading station, prewash, wash, prerinse and rinse zones and to an unloading station. Flatware, such as knives, forks, spoons, etc. are commonly placed in an apertured cylindrical container in a generally upright position. These containers pass through the appropriate prewash, wash, prerinse and rinse zones.
Machine operators are instructed to arrange the flatware to minimize any nesting or any overlapping of the individual pieces. This is not alwasy done by the machine operator. Even assuming the machine operator performs his task satisfactorily the force of the various sprays particularly in the prewash zone dislodge the flatware within the container. This results in nesting of the pieces of flatware and prevents the entire surfaces of all pieces from being properly cleaned.
The present invention is directed to a device for carrying flatware which prevents nesting of the flatware and allows the entire surface of the flatware to be cleaned.
Briefly, the invention comprises a frame adapted to travel in a conventional conveyor pan. A cradle adapted to oscillate about a fixed axis and a drive assembly are both secured to the frame. The drive assembly engages a portion of the conveyor pan. A rocker arm is pinned at one end to the cradle and pinned eccentrically at the other end to a drive member which drive member engages the drive assembly. As the frame travels along the conveyor pan the drive assembly drives the drive member which in turn effects oscillatory movement of the cradle about a fixed axis. The flatware is disposed in containers or baskets which are received and supported by the cradle. Therefore, as the flatware carried by the cradle passed through the prewash, wash and rinse zones it is continuously tossed to and fro to prevent nesting and insures that all surfaces are exposed to the various sprays.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the frame is secured to a convention dolly which dolly is driven along a conveyor pan. These dollies typically include discus shaped wheels which travel in tracks on opposed sides of the conveyor pan. The drive assembly includes a drive wheel which engages one of these tracks and the frame of the device is disposed such that its weight insures constant frictional engagement of the drive wheel with the track. The drive wheel includes at its upper portion, a first bevel gear which engages a second bevel gear. Secured eccentrically to the second bevel gear is a rocker arm which is secured to the cradle. The degree of oscillation is controlled by a stopper arm to insure that none of the articles are thrown or fall out of the baskets.